


A Different Kind of Angel

by SpiritGazer



Category: Original Work
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-10
Updated: 2015-01-13
Packaged: 2018-02-28 21:38:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2748008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpiritGazer/pseuds/SpiritGazer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A lab born and bred child is approaching his 18th birthday. His hopes of being integrated into society are all but gone when a series of events alter his path. All his life he was told what to do, and now he makes his own decisions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I Would Like to Leave an Account. . .

**Author's Note:**

  * For [NightWalker83](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightWalker83/gifts), [YangWinchestette](https://archiveofourown.org/users/YangWinchestette/gifts), [DanDreiberg](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DanDreiberg/gifts), [ClockworkStoryteller](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClockworkStoryteller/gifts).



In a cafe in the business district of New York, a woman scrolls through her new feed. Stories of celebrity melt downs, rovers on mars, and worldwide disasters just sit there on her screen. Then one catches her eye. A post from some random guy. Matthew Black. The title catches her eye. "A True Account". She opens up the article and finds herself reading a story that is quickly sweeping the internet by storm.

"My name is Matthew Black. I would like to leave some form of account for the unofficial record. While I am typing this, I wonder whether or not anyone will take notice. While the government officials have agreed not to hide any of this, I can't help but imagine the public not being interested. Whatever the reason is I am writing this, I hope it will serve both of its purposes. First, to inform people about the events I was involved in for the past three years. Second, and more importantly to me, an account for myself to look at and compare with the official report. As I type this I am also awaiting a machine to be prepared for use. This machine will hook up to my brain, access my memories, and make a physical copy. This copy will be the complete and total story without any gaps from failure to remember. It will retrieve all the details that I cannot easily access. I wish to compare what is missing in my account to the memory copy. As to make sure that the story is viewed from more than one point of view, I am accompanied by several others who will undergo the same procedure. The most notable include Amanda Black, Dr. Joseph Callahan, and Detective Blake Long. All of these account will be gathered in an attempt to create the most complete picture of everything occurring involving my life. On the off chance I do not live, there are several measures in place to ensure that this story is passed along. People have been left in the dark far too long.

Without further explanation, I hope to begin to share the story of what occurred in my life. The best way to explain is to begin with my origins. My hope is to place this story in the hands of the people and give them the chance to voice an opinion. While most want to turn it into a moral debate, others a military stir, and of course still others questioning what lies below, I want to pose this question.

What makes me so different?


	2. Not so Routine.

"Good morning mother." The excited teenager gave the usual greeting every morning.

"Good morning son. Ten o'clock. Right on time." The woman gave the reply from her office chair. She looked at the boy just walking in, took stock of his appearance. His light frame showed his high energy life. His dark hair complimented his vivid green eyes, like a shadow trying to hide emeralds that defied being covered up. The boy looked back just as observant. 'Mother' as he took to calling her from a young age, was about 36 years old. Her blond hair and blue eyes made her the least likely person to be paired with the boy as a mother. She was average height, while the boy was almost six foot tall and almost 18 years old. While similarly thin, she had a tad bit more meat on her bones compared to the boy.

"Well, I would never be late for you mom. I rather prefer to spend all the time I can with you. Not to mention that I would rather hate to disappoint you by being late." The boy replied in his usual smart fashion. His environment had certainly given him a liking to science and math. Still artistic in some senses, mostly in an imaginative curious way, he was known for drawing whole equations as pictures.

"And how are we today Matthew?" The motherly figure walked over and hugged her 'son'.

"Excited. One week to 18. Then they will finally let me out of the lab and start to work into the rest of the world." Matthew gave the reply. She took stock of his appearance again. This time with the attention on his clothing. The white slacks and similarly colorless tee shirt left a blank and sterile look. His shoes were everyday tennis-shoes, other than being the same bleached white color that his whole wardrobe took on. The only thing not white was his hair and eyes. Even his skin was a fairly pale shade from limited outside activity.

"Now, shall we begin the rest of the routine?" Matthew looked at the woman like the question was expected. The woman did in fact expect that question and replied happily.

"Yes, we shall." The woman went back to her office chair and grabbed a folder filled with information on the boy in front of her.

"Well, Amanda, since we are being official here, I have a few questions I would like to raise being that I am almost 18." Matthew looked at the Amanda and seemed to act like it was a totally different person. Not a stranger, just another friend he talks to.

"Where would you like to start?" Amanda gave the reply. Her face took on the look she had worked on for a few years now. The role of psychiatrist had to override being mother. The irony of her job. She was hired 18 years ago to fill two roles. The first, Matthew's mental and emotional support/guide. Second, a nurturing position that would be void without her presence. Thus mother. During their office time together she was to assume the role of psychiatrist. Outside of the office position, she played mother hen to boy. His biological mother was never even told he existed. An egg donor from California, she was one of hundreds considered to be the laboratory child's mother. The same was true about the father. Some donor, never questioned, never told what he was part of biologically. Amanda took the role happily. At the age of 18 she was hired on during her freshman year of college. Psychiatric work was her intended career, so why not make it a life project. She finished her degree while being the mother figure the new born needed. By the time he was four she had completed her bachelors, and half of her masters. By the time Matthew was eight, she had her Ph.D. The laboratory workers supplied everything. Money, food, education for Matthew. It gave her a fast track to full time work with Matthew. The intention was to continue acting as mother and doctor until she was about 60. Then her retirement agreement with the lab company would kick in and she could relax and fill just a motherly role.

"Well, I know I'm a lab rat. I was made in a test tube for some experiment. What I don't know is why? No one ever told me what my role is. What experiment I'm part of." Matthew had been told very early on his origins. Part of why Amanda was hired. To give a sense of both normalcy to Matthew, as well as be able to give a full and accurate report to the higher up members of the company.

"You are part of an experiment to observe the effects of what you just described. Being a lab rat, with no ties to biological parents, and forced to hold onto a stranger as mother. We wanted to see if you can work yourself into normal life with other people outside of the lab. That is why at 18 you are being introduced to life outside these walls." Amanda gave the technical answer to the question. Still playing psychiatrist at the moment.

"Then I hope I was sufficient so far. Because I am the only teenager I see." Matthew gave the reply, being fully aware of how many other people wandered around the lab dressed the way he does. The thought of being the only data point scared him. 'How do they plan to research anything should he be harmed?' Was a common thought on his mind.

"You have been. Don't worry, this is a national study. Across multiple laboratories just like this one." Amanda gave the reply like a script. That was just it, she had been told what to say to Matthew if he questioned his existence.

"O.K. Well, we are about out of time. Goodbye Amanda. I have chores and such to do." Then she felt the pain of disconnecting right after lying to him.

"Goodbye Matthew. Give mother a hug." She stood up from her office seat and walked over to the boy. He gladly hugged the reaching arms. Matthew left the room and Amanda stood alone. She looked at her name tag and back at the file. 'Amanda Black' was all her tag head. In big bold letters the file folder had Matthew's full name written out. As a gesture of good faith and trust, she gave the boy her sir name. Matthew Black. "Goodbye Matthew."


	3. What Lies Inside.

Matthew left Amanda's office to head towards class. His schedule was always the same each week. Mondays started in Amanda's office for morning evaluation, just like every day. Then followed by math class. Something happened on his way to class. Matthew started to stumble some heading to the classroom. He managed to find himself inside his bedroom, which happened to be close to Amanda's office. Inside he couldn't seem to control what he did. He threw himself against a corner. Suddenly the world went black. Nothing. No sight. No sound. It seemed feeling-less except time. It seemed like things slowed down to a crawl. The feeling inside was excruciating. The pain magnified tenfold like fire, suffocating, drowning, and being electrocuted all at once. Then true nothingness. Suddenly Amanda's voice was yelling. It was gibberish. The only reason Matthew knew she was yelling was her tone. It was the same as when she gave orders after someone messed something up involving his wellbeing. She was more of a mom then anyone could ask for. A knife stuck into the black veil that shrouded Matthew. Suddenly, it opened and the light came in as if wanting to see the inside like no light had ever been there. Amanda look startled, but took Matthew into her arms. Her average height, just under five foot five inches, made Matthew cumbersome to hold at first.

"What's going on? What happened?" Matthew tried to talk clearly but it all came out garbled. Slurred almost like he was drunk.

"Everything is alright. You seemed to have ended up in a cocoon of some sorts. We don't know how it got there or what made it. You were trapped inside and I found you wrapped up walking down to the mess hall. I started to get people’s attention and we pulled you out." Amanda was trying to keep eye contact with Matthew, but was looking over his body at the same time.

"What? What's wrong?" Matthew was getting slightly better at talking, but found his tongue not working quite how he thought it should. His eyes started to look around when Amanda stopped him.

"No. Matthew look at me. I need you to keep your eyes on me. Check you for responsiveness. Whether or not there are any mental problems. Just look me in the eyes." Amanda took a hold of Matthew's face. Something seemed wrong.

"Wait, where are my clothes? Why don't I have a shirt on? What's with my teeth? They feel sharp. Almost like needles. My skin feels dry. What is going on?" Matthew was scrambling to get up when Amanda tried to keep him on the ground.

"Stay down Matthew. You are still disoriented. You are still adjusting to whatever happened in the cocoon. We took your shirt off in case we had to use the paddles. Just keep calm. I'll make sure everything is alright." Amanda was frantically trying to hide something from Matthew. Secrets were something he hated. The lab was full of secrets, and he wanted to know as much as he could.

"Amanda, what aren't you telling me? Why are you keeping secrets? You promised to be honest with me. What is happening?" Matthew tried to stand up and quickly found himself throwing off Amanda. She was much lighter then he remembered, or he was much stronger. Suddenly Matthew found himself in front of his mirror. The world paused as his reflection stared back at him. A black scale was the first thing his eyes caught onto. Large, flat black, and one of many. Suddenly his eyes traveled his whole body. His skin everywhere was replaced by scales. The green eyes staring back felt like his, but much larger. His teeth replaced by sharp mouth full of needles. His tongue was thin, bright red, and forked at the end. His fingers ended in sharp ivory colored claws. His toe had similarly colored talons. A large set of leathery looking wings flexed behind him. Finally he heard the thump thump thump of a tail. HIS TAIL! "What happened?"

"Matthew, this is the true experiment. We have been trying to create human hybrids. You are the first success." Amanda let the words hang in the air for Matthew to process. The sound of footsteps running down the hall echoed louder than Matthew thought they should be. Everything seemed to sound a little louder. A little clearer.

"Why are you sending guards in Amanda? Mother, why are they pointing guns at me?" Matthew quickly got defensive and hunched his six foot body into a four foot crouch. A harsh growl started to vibrate his neck. The guards quickly closed in on Matthew.

"Matthew, please. Listen to mother. Don't fight. Don't resist. Just stand down. We won't hurt you. At all. Please, just surrender." Amanda was crying at the situation. Matthew was about to surrender until he heard the click. The rifles were being loaded up. There was only one door. Half a dozen guards. Amanda was far enough to the side to avoid hurting her. Matthew coiled up even more and got ready.


	4. In the Blink of an Eye.

Matthew tightened as the sounds of guns loading rang in his ear. Time slowed, the clock seemed to tick so slow that it nearly stopped. Then it hit him. That moment when your life flashes before your eyes. It flooded in like a dam had broken and released all the waters of his memories. The first memories he had growing up, meeting Amanda and forming the mother/son relation. All his life the lab workers ran the show. Teaching him school. Practicing normal skills. Even social life abilities. Matthew still remembered a conversation with Amanda explaining it all.

"Now Matthew, I am your mother. The people here are like aunts and uncles. We all care about you and want the best for you. O.K.?" Amanda smiled. She was about 22 when Matthew was starting to make full use of a basic vocabulary.

"Does that mean I always listen to what they tell me?" Matthew asked quizzically.

"Yes. It does." Amanda replied smiling. So Matthew obeyed. Learning everything he could from any source he could. Math and science were second nature. His physical skills were well developed. Matthew's Sixth birthday he asked the question what a birthday is.

"It's when you matured fully as an itty bitty thing into a baby. So we celebrate. Even if you came from a jar. I love you as my son. It's not a job to me, it's a choice. One I would make time and time again. So let's have some cake." Amanda held Matthew in her arms lovingly and carried him off to the mess hall for the party. As he progressed through life Matthew always was above the curve. Ahead of the game. The peak of performance. Amanda was the ever faithful mother. Scolding when necessary, loving when needed, and uplifting when helpful. Eventually Matthew began to question what was outside. The questions usually were left unanswered, but not without some insight.

"When you are older, we will let you out of here. For now, how about I bring in a few children for you to meet?" Amanda offered to introduce Matthew to other kids his age. Matthew declined.

"If I get into the real world now, I won't want to live my lab life. I will wait till I am ready to leave, then I will meet new people." Matthew seemed to offer wisdom beyond his age. All the while Amanda watched and was proud. Suddenly it hit Matthew. Every important life moment, every question, every detail of life was with Amanda. Suddenly time resumed. The guard did not shoot, though they prepared to at the slightest moment.

"You knew the whole time, didn't you? What the experiment was? What I was made for? You knew didn't you? And you kept it a secret?" Matthew was enraged at this point. The one woman he trusted. His adoptive mother.

"Yes. I did. If we told you, there was a fear you would overreact. Possibly harm yourself. So secrets were kept. I am sorry Matthew. I am sorry son." Amanda was in tears for the lie she lived.

"No. I should be apologizing. I am sorry mother." Matthew whispered the final line so only Amanda heard it. Suddenly the tension of his body regained. Crouching to about 3 feet tall built up a lot of energy. Suddenly he took his moment. Bursting through the guards towards the hallway, all six of them were knocked on their feet. Matthew used his new found strength and agility to sprint down the hall way, avoiding new guards and laboratory assistants all the way. His opening came into view. A window. Five doors down. Then his mind clicked. He was on the 15th floor.

"I hope these wings work." Matthew thought to himself as he charged on all fours even faster. With no regard to anyone below the window or personal safety, he crashed through. Glass shattered everywhere and spilled all over the lawn. The wind rushing past Matthew felt freeing. The sunlight inviting. They he finally tried. Matthew opened his wings and took flight. Sailing high above the laboratory building, and into the sun.

"It's my life. Now I make my own decisions." Matthew yelled defiantly at the world. Ready to take any challenge.


	5. A Mother's Duty

Matthew tightened as the sounds of guns loading rang in his ear. Time slowed, the clock seemed to tick so slow that it nearly stopped. Then it hit him. That moment when your life flashes before your eyes. It flooded in like a dam had broken and released all the waters of his memories. The first memories he had growing up, meeting Amanda and forming the mother/son relation. All his life the lab workers ran the show. Teaching him school. Practicing normal skills. Even social life abilities. Matthew still remembered a conversation with Amanda explaining it all.

"Now Matthew, I am your mother. The people here are like aunts and uncles. We all care about you and want the best for you. O.K.?" Amanda smiled. She was about 22 when Matthew was starting to make full use of a basic vocabulary.

"Does that mean I always listen to what they tell me?" Matthew asked quizzically.

"Yes. It does." Amanda replied smiling. So Matthew obeyed. Learning everything he could from any source he could. Math and science were second nature. His physical skills were well developed. Matthew's Sixth birthday he asked the question what a birthday is.

"It's when you matured fully as an itty bitty thing into a baby. So we celebrate. Even if you came from a jar. I love you as my son. It's not a job to me, it's a choice. One I would make time and time again. So let's have some cake." Amanda held Matthew in her arms lovingly and carried him off to the mess hall for the party. As he progressed through life Matthew always was above the curve. Ahead of the game. The peak of performance. Amanda was the ever faithful mother. Scolding when necessary, loving when needed, and uplifting when helpful. Eventually Matthew began to question what was outside. The questions usually were left unanswered, but not without some insight.

"When you are older, we will let you out of here. For now, how about I bring in a few children for you to meet?" Amanda offered to introduce Matthew to other kids his age. Matthew declined.

"If I get into the real world now, I won't want to live my lab life. I will wait till I am ready to leave, then I will meet new people." Matthew seemed to offer wisdom beyond his age. All the while Amanda watched and was proud. Suddenly it hit Matthew. Every important life moment, every question, every detail of life was with Amanda. Suddenly time resumed. The guard did not shoot, though they prepared to at the slightest moment.

"You knew the whole time, didn't you? What the experiment was? What I was made for? You knew didn't you? And you kept it a secret?" Matthew was enraged at this point. The one woman he trusted. His adoptive mother.

"Yes. I did. If we told you, there was a fear you would overreact. Possibly harm yourself. So secrets were kept. I am sorry Matthew. I am sorry son." Amanda was in tears for the lie she lived.

"No. I should be apologizing. I am sorry mother." Matthew whispered the final line so only Amanda heard it. Suddenly the tension of his body regained. Crouching to about 3 feet tall built up a lot of energy. Suddenly he took his moment. Bursting through the guards towards the hallway, all six of them were knocked on their feet. Matthew used his new found strength and agility to sprint down the hall way, avoiding new guards and laboratory assistants all the way. His opening came into view. A window. Five doors down. Then his mind clicked. He was on the 15th floor.

"I hope these wings work." Matthew thought to himself as he charged on all fours even faster. With no regard to anyone below the window or personal safety, he crashed through. Glass shattered everywhere and spilled all over the lawn. The wind rushing past Matthew felt freeing. The sunlight inviting. They he finally tried. Matthew opened his wings and took flight. Sailing high above the laboratory building, and into the sun.

"It's my life. Now I make my own decisions." Matthew yelled defiantly at the world. Ready to take any challenge.

The world seemed to stop for a moment for Amanda. She watched the boy she raised from a baby to teenager suddenly change. His transformation all the more real after he over powered six guards and sprinted down the hallway in mere seconds. Yet he spared her. Matthew spared her. The mother who had just revealed the ultimate betrayal. "Amanda! Amanda! Where are you? Amanda!" The familiar yet voice came down the hall from where Matthew ran to.

"Joseph. What have we done?" Amanda simply replied. Dr. Joseph Callahan was the head of the whole experiment. Tall, at six foot two, and thin. The man had been involved in whole thing since before she had been hired on. Joseph had been the one who hired her. At 25, he was a few years older. But he was able to see potential.

"We did exactly what we planned. You knew we couldn't tell the subject what he was meant for. The odds of him taking it well are incredibly low. We did the right thing. Unfortunately the subject was not mature enough to realize the point." Joseph sounded cold, even emotionless.

"The subject has a name. His name is Matthew. Matthew is more than an experiment. Matthew is a person. Regardless of how he came to be or what genetics you did." Amanda was sobbing. Her baby was not going to be dehumanized. Not in her presence.

"I'm sorry. I am trying to deal with failure with you here." Joseph replied, setting off a nerve deep inside Amanda.

"Failure? You think that's what I'm dealing with? FAILURE? I LOST MY CHILD BECAUSE YOU TOLD ME TO KEEP A SECRET FROM HIM! I AM THE FAILURE HERE. I FAILED AS A MOTHER." Amanda was cracking at the seams. The stress and lies and betrayal.

"I understand your pain but we must be neutral about all of this." Joseph tried to calm the ever growing woman. He knew that an angry motherly figure was not someone he wanted to contend with, or have around.

"I will give you calm, but not neutral. All I want is to find my son and help Matthew understand everything. Now get out of my way." Amanda knew she needed Joseph and his resources to find Matthew.

"Amanda let's be reasonable." Joseph barely got the words.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY. NOW JOSEPH." Amanda walked off before giving Joseph a chance to reply. The whole situation seemed to squash down into a single point in her mind. Like a black hole, the world was drawn in and revolved by one person. One purpose. Find Matthew. Make it all better. The boy she held when he was not even a year old. The kiss she was given at six when they explained that Amanda wasn't Matthew's real mom. It didn't matter. She acted as his mother the best anyone could. He still loved her, no matter blood relation. Now she owed it to Matthew to fix her mistakes.


	6. A Quick Breath.

Matthew quickly sped off on the winds of change flying from the Lab he called home. Why did they lie to him? Why it all was kept a secret? Who could he trust now? Worst of all, was Amanda sincere in her sorrow? Matthew quickly snapped out of his own thoughts realizing that the forest was quickly approaching. Almost like instinct, he threw up his wings to catch as much air as possible. The quick stop would have been harmful to most people, possibly a bad case of whiplash. His new body, however, was made for taking punishment. The high force was like a little kid pushing his body trying to move him out of the way. "Well, that was interesting."

Matthew landed just at the edge of the forest and took off with his running start. About half a mile in the forest, Matthew decided to finally slow down and stop. Suddenly he realized how quickly he had covered ground. It was about 12 o'clock when he ran off, and the sun was still high in the sky. His time at the Lab taught him many survival skills. Telling time by counting the sun was one such skill. "It's only one o'clock? The forest is 60 miles from the Lab. I remember reading one of the reports. Talked about the small rocket launch. It actually hit the tree line, which surprised most people." Matthew started to rattle off numbers to himself. His ground speed was similarly increased. The hall way he ran down out the window was about 150 yards. He covered that distance in the span of 10 seconds. His natural tendency while thinking was to wander, and wander he did. Soon Matthew found himself in a more heavily forested area of the woods. Deciding to take a rest from the more exhaustive thinking and walking, Matthew decided to do a closer look at his new form.

"Large black scales, sharp claws, talons, back spines. So I'm no friendly creature now. Large, but flexible, wings. About 15 feet wide. Leathery. But they fold up tight to my back. Almost hang like a cape that way." Matthew started to walk a circle around himself when that thumping sound rang out again. "Oh, right, a tail." Matthew quickly started to try moving the long appendage with purposeful thought. Twitching left and right, Matthew started to get an idea the limitations of the long counterbalance. Nearly six feet long, the tail was extremely flexible. Capable of wrapping around trees and what he supposed would grab a person, Matthew continued his practice. "Well, it will take a little getting used to. Seems like my body has a natural instinct to these though. I flew all this way and landed without a problem. More genetic alteration probably." Matthew started to grow a little angry at the thought of what was done to him. The urge to yell grew inside until there was no other option in his mind. Matthew let out a mighty roar straight up in the air. Suddenly a giant stream of fire burst up into the air. The trees around seemed to bend backwards trying to avoid the fire. "Well, that's new." Matthew shut his mouth as soon as he noticed the inferno raging from his face. Looks like I could use a breath of fresh air. Fresher then here. Matthew started to wander off, determined to use this new found form against the people who betrayed him. "Mother, I will come home. Eventually."


	7. City Life

Matthew slowly wandered the forest until the sound of a motor attracted his attention. Making purposeful moves towards the sound, Matthew stumbled on what his text book knowledge would call a road. "Well, makes sense it's not too far from the lab. They would have to move supplies in and out somehow." Matthew sat in the forest line. Sure that his shape was hidden from view. Past the view of the road, Matthew noticed several tall buildings. "A city. Could grab a few things there. Food. A disguise. Maybe a few pieces of tech for the road." Matthew caught himself wanting to slip to a familiar tool. A laptop. "They will be looking for a string of thefts. Somewhere close. And they know what I would take. So, I have to change it up." Matthew decided to visit the city at night. Decided that some basics were needed to survive the next few nights. Most importantly, Matthew decided a map would be invaluable.

"Well, this is a test of my senses. Smell seems increased. Either that, or the city just stinks of sewer and onions everywhere." Matthew took a few whiffs of the night before deciding not to breathe too deeply. "Sight is better. Color is so vivid. Distance is better, even past the city steam and dust." Matthew was busy paying attention to the new feelings when his first lesson of the city would be taught.

"Hey. You, in the costume. What's the matter? Forgot your loin cloth at home. Went out to the convention without a touch of decency? First mistake. Second was hanging around this part of town. Third was letting me catch you. Now give me your wallet." The stocky man caught Matthew off guard. Normally the man was tall for his victims. Compared to Matthew, the man was a few inches short of eye level. His gun gave him the confidence to take this fight.

"Who, me? Sorry, no luck here. No wallet. Or money." Matthew smiled at the thought of someone robbing him. Then the thought dawned on him. This thug believed Matthew was in a costume. Part of some nerdy convention. "Look, you got the wrong guy. Don't try this fight OK?" Matthew looked at the thug trying not to smile too much.

"Nice try. Wallet. Now." The man insisted.

"No, really. No wallet. No pockets." Matthew laughed at the poor man. What did he hope to accomplish? The idea came across very quickly. A bang came from the gun. The lead stopping on Matthew's chest. Leaving a slight dent in the scale, and stuck in the niche.

"What the hell is that costume made of?" The thug stood with a look of horror on his face. Matthew simply leaned in, have a quick swipe of his claws to tear his shirt without hurting the man, and yelled out "BOO!" The thug ran off like a scared mouse seeing a cat.

"Looks like I need to get some cloths. I guess he made a good point. May also need to be careful where I go. City lesson number one. Thugs like the night." Matthew decided to make his way to brighter parts of the city. Less chance to hide, but this 'costume' disguise may be his cover for now. Grabbing the shreds of shirt, Matthew tied them together as a make shift loin cloth. "Good enough for now. City shopping, her I come." Matthew decided to forgo the hidden theft string for now. Hysterical stories of a dragon killer were going to draw that attention anyway. "Once sense I did not inherit. Sneaking. Need to work on that one."


	8. Gone with the Wind.

Matthew took care to make his way towards the city's brighter side quickly. Soon he noticed the convention the thug mentioned. "So, medieval costume convention. Should be a good place to hide if they end up on my tail this soon." Matthew calmly made is his way around the busy streets. "Computer store, clothing, and my favorite stop right now. Super market. Need to get some food, but I should save that for last. I have a better chance grabbing a stash with pockets and a large shirt." Matthew made his way down the street calmly. The clothing store was all the way down the street, and foot traffic was going up, perfect for disappearing in a crowd to grab the rest of what he needed. Matthew quickly made his way through the crowded store to cloths that were a bit more sizable than most. No one seemed to pay any attention to him in the store. Like he was just a normal sight. Then it dawned on him. All the other people dressed in period garb. Even a few other dragons, though not quite so detailed. Matthew grabbed the largest coat, hoodie, tee shirt, and sweat pants he could find. Making his way to the dressing room, the ensemble helped hide his appearance quiet well. When all was said and done, the disguise did its job. So well, no one noticed him walk out the store without paying for the cloths. His claws made quick work of the security tags, and the rest was easy to peel and cut off. "One down, two more to go."

Matthew quickly cut a path to the tech store down the street. While he didn't plan to steal one of the computers, he wanted to make sure he was familiar with technology from outside the laboratory walls. The real plan in his mind was to find and steal someone else lap top when the chance arrived. Computer familiarization completed, the next stop was food. A local super market offered everything he needed. Large crowds. Plenty of food. No one actually watching. Matthew had collected plenty of meat and bread in his basket, then realized, he had no way to preserve food once he got out. "I guess I better just take enough for the night. Figure out food from there." Then the hitch happened. The whole night was going fairly well until the cops noticed him.

"Sir, we need you to hand us the basket and come with us. Your mother is looking for you. She is very worried. Told us to look for someone with your costume description. We see you snagged a few cloths to hide it. Why not take the costume off to hide? Never mind that. Just come with us peacefully. Your mom gave us these meds. She said you would need them soon." The first of three officers approached Matthew.

"She is the crazy lady. I'm sorry officers, your story is actually backwards. That woman claims to be my mother, but is really just following me. She probably heard I was going to the convention and saw me leave in my costume. You should check those meds. They look kind of suspicious. Sorry for the inconvenience." Matthew tried to talk his way out of the problem, instead getting in a deeper hole.

"Sorry. No dice. Not your first run away I see. She told us you would give that response. It's almost like she's more in your mind then you are." The second of the trio laughed.

"More then you actually know." Matthew wasn't laughing at all. Matthew quickly snapped into thinking mode. Looking for a way out, a way to explain it away, and then took the path of least resistance. Through the guards. Matthew took one good jump and vaulted all three guards. The door wasn't a far distance, and the scrambling shoppers seeing a giant black lizard jump eight feet in the air provided the distraction he needed. Matthew sprinted for the door, and managed to make it out without losing any of his make shift cloths. His tail was starting to hurt being folded up tight on his back though. The counter balance was much desired, so Matthew lifted the coat and hoodie to let the appendage fall down. Ditching the sweat pants in light of proper use of his tail. "The coat will cover low enough." Matthew told himself. Making quick work of taking his coat and hoodie of carefully, Matthew let out his wings. The city wind currents were just calling out as his best escape. Taking to the skies, Matthew quickly ascended to the tops of sky scrapers. Landing on one of the perches, Matthew surveyed the streets. People were running around, cop cars were everywhere, and he soon heard the sound of choppers ringing through the air. One thought filled is head. "How did you find me so soon? How did you know where to look? Are you really that much in my head?" Matthew wanted to think and ask the sky more, but the search lights of the copters soon took presidency. "Need to move. Looks like city traveling is going to have to be much more careful." Matthew hated the idea of running so soon, but it was his only option. Turning away from the city sky line, little did Matthew know what was about to go on in the city, or how close he was to the woman with all the answers.


End file.
